Georgetown University Urban Heat Island Toolkit

“Adapting to Urban Heat: A Tool Kit for Local Governments” is designed to help local governments reduce the effects of increased heat on their communities and citizens. It provides an analytic tool for policy makers to consider a combination of four built-environment changes (cool roofs, green roofs, cool pavements, and urban forestry), providing clear criteria for selecting among these approaches. It also examines the roles government can play in pursuing these changes: shaping government’s own operations, mandating or providing incentives for private choices, and engaging in public education.

Each of the four main chapters provides decision-making criteria and examples of mandates, incentives, public education programs, and government operations for each strategy. Each chapter also concludes with a set of “no-regrets” policies that local officials may undertake that provide multiple benefits, including public health, air quality, and energy efficiency, in addition to reducing urban heat impacts.